Credit Side Annotation

Line 4 -  In late 1799 George Blagdin, the builder charged with constructing for GW two connected houses to the north of the new Capitol in the Federal City, required a payment from GW in the amount of $1,000.  On 20 Nov. 1799, GW informed William Thornton, who was supervising the construction of GW's houses, that he was forced to borrow the money from his nephew, Lawrence Lewis, due to difficulties in drawing the money from the Bank of Alexandria.  GW repaid Lewis $500 of the sum on 3 Dec. 1799 (see the debit side of Ledger C, folio page 58).

Blagdin had apparently frequently requested money from GW for the erection of the houses, but GW was particularly vexed over the high prices for work that had not been specified in his original agreement with Blagdin. In a letter of 18 Nov. 1799, GW complained to Thornton that "the work which is not ennumerated in the Contract" with Blagdin "is pretty smartly whipped up in the price of it." See GW to William Thornton, 18 Nov. 1799 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirment Series, Volume 4, pages 414-15)]; see also GW to William Thornton, 20 Nov. 1799 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 4, page 420)]; GW to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 28 Sept. 1798, and n.2 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 3, pages 52-55)]; and GW to the District of Columbia Commissioners, 27 Oct. 1798, and notes 2 and 3 [Rotunda | Founders Online | Print (Retirement Series, Volume 3, pages 144-50)].